The present invention relates to a torque support for a driving gear. The driving gear is non-rotatably secured to a shaft pivot and is driven by a plurality of motors secured to the torque support. Thus, rotation of the driving gear will correspondingly rotate the shaft pivot. The present invention is particularly useful in connection with the driving gears useful with metallurgical converters or vessels. Such driving gears provide selective tilting of the metallurgical converters, as required. Generally, a gear box supporting the motors, gear reduction mechanisms, pinion gears and the large sprocket is supported around the centrally located shaft pivot. The driving motors are secured to the gear box and are each provided with reduction gear mechanisms which, in turn, mesh with pinion gears. The pinion gears correspondingly mesh with a large sprocket gear, which is, as previously mentioned, non-rotatably secured to the shaft pivot of the metallurgical furnace.
Pursuant to the present invention, the torque support is provided with a pair of symmetrically arranged steering rods which are pivotally mounted to the torque support. The central axis of the pivotal connections existing between the steering rods and the torque support is parallel to the central axis of the shaft pivot sought to be rotated. The pivotal connection between the steering rods and the torque support may, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprise ball and socket type joints. The lower ends of the steering rods are hinged to lever-like arms which extend parallel to one another. These arms are rotatably secured, again via ball and socket type joints, on a base member which is supported on the floor. In addition, a tension-compression rod, extending parallel to the floor is provided which extends between and interconnects the upper ends of the parallel lever-like arms.